History
In the colonial period, conflicts between settlers and native tribes resulted in the abandonment of towns and missions including Melodía, Timbó, Naranajay and Remolinos.
Only Fort Borbon, today called Fort Olimpo, survived. Founded during the government of Alos and Bru, the garrison contained the southern advance of the Portuguese.
French settlers tried but failed to settle the area, with the exception of "Villa Occidental".
It was named Presidente Hayes after the War against the Triple Alliance, in honor of the United States president Rutherford B. Hayes, whose intervention resulted in Paraguay retaining the territory.
In 1906, during the political division of Paraguay, it was split in two regions, Oriental and Occidental. The latter was divided in military headquarters that depended on the War and Marine Ministry.
Important dates for this department include June 12 (Chaco Peace Day), September 29 (Boquerón Victory Day) and November 12 (Laudo Hayes Firm Day).
Read more about this topic: Presidente Hayes Department
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“Those who weep for the happy periods which they encounter in history acknowledge what they want; not the alleviation but the silencing of misery.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“The principle that human nature, in its psychological aspects, is nothing more than a product of history and given social relations removes all barriers to coercion and manipulation by the powerful.”
—Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)
“History has neither the venerableness of antiquity, nor the freshness of the modern. It does as if it would go to the beginning of things, which natural history might with reason assume to do; but consider the Universal History, and then tell us,—when did burdock and plantain sprout first?”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)